The National Elections Commission held a successful operational planning retreat in Entebbe Uganda, attended by nine commissioners, two Secretariat Staff, and eight UN Integrated Electoral Assistance Team advisors.

The objective of this operational planning retreat was for the Commission to calibrate its priorities and establish an overall strategy for advancing its institutional readiness towards managing the electoral process that would enable the holding of the anticipated elections to be held in December 2026.  Some of the objectives of the planning retreat included:

• Review of R-ACSS extension timelines and identify key political decisions required for NEC to be able to deliver the December 2026 elections
• Define NEC’s strategies and priorities.
• Define the method for drafting of the operational plan.
• Discuss Voter Registration and boundary delimitation processes and their implementation.
• Discuss the way forward towards Civic Voter Education and Education and Engagement
• Define the way forward for the review of the budget.

The outcome of this retreat was a communique and a set of action points that presented a coherent position that would guide the next set of engagements with the Government and other stakeholders. This engagement is aimed at strengthening the understanding of the challenges around the organization and conduct of the electoral process under the current conditions and it is expected that this understanding will foster informed and timely decision-making.

Juba- From October 1^st to October 17, 2024, chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, and members of the High Committees, staff members from the National Elections commission and representatives from various civil society organizations from all 10 states participated in a training program focused on electoral administration.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance the electoral process in South Sudan, facilitated by BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance, and Elections), a comprehensive capacity development curriculum for election management bodies worldwide. This program was conducted in two phases and was attended by 72 participants.

These trainings are aimed at equipping South Sudan’s electoral stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage upcoming elections in the country.